escalated 1 of 2

as in increased
being at a higher level than average for a time there was an escalated interest in the historical figure following the release of the blockbuster biography

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

escalated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of escalate
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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of escalated
Verb
Efforts to cancel the event The controversy escalated after social media posts characterized the event as a drag show specifically intended for children. Evan Moore august 31, Charlotte Observer, 31 Aug. 2026 Floyd said the situation escalated after the unidentified device was fired. Paige Meyer, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 The encounter escalated to gunfire, striking multiple people, Cole said. Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026 For decades, an attacker discovered a vulnerability, a security tool generated an alert, an analyst investigated it, the issue was escalated and eventually someone decided what to do. Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Since Wright’s arrangement with LSU became public, the fight over his eligibility has escalated quickly. Joshua Hong, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 But the dispute quickly escalated into a reputational crisis for the biennale, with artists from Taiwan and China condemning the name change as a betrayal of its founding ideals. Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Grain export disruptions have pushed prices up, after reports that tensions escalated between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea region. Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 Tensions escalated late Friday when Canada walked away from negotiations after Carney concluded the United States was demanding too much in exchange for tariff relief. Rob Gillies, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalated
Adjective
  • Estrogen keeps hair in the growth phase longer, explains endocrinologist and OB-GYN Lucky Sekhon, so its decline may lead to hair thinning and increased shedding.
    Sarah Madaus, InStyle, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The company’s turnaround strategy, launched by new CEO Michael Fiddelke after former CEO Brian Cornell stepped down, includes store refreshes, increased staffing, and more aggressive pricing.
    Nancy Jiang, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Japan’s 10-year yield reached its highest level since August 1996, while Germany’s benchmark yield rose to a 2011 high.
    Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The Colorado River also rose briefly just upstream from where Bright Angel Creek empties into the river, in response to the sudden influx of water, according to the river gauge on the geologic survey, but quickly adjusted.
    Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The rocket’s second stage ignited a single Aquila engine and accelerated to orbital velocity—some 5 miles per second—about seven minutes into the flight.
    Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The July hack by rogue OpenAI autonomous agents on open-source developer platform Hugging Face accelerated the shift and proved that the era of advanced AI hacks had arrived.
    Samantha Subin, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The Bank of Korea raised its base rate to 3% in August, its second consecutive hike, as core inflation remained elevated.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • One of the many knock-on effects of the energy price shock has been a broad expectation among investors that inflation will stay elevated.
    Steve Kopack, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday, Republican and Democratic lawmakers criticized Oracle for a contract that has now swelled to $27 billion.
    Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2026
  • But the administration, led by Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, has pushed ahead, recruiting bankers to help wield a loan authority that has swelled from $1 billion to $200 billion thanks to the recent Republican party-line tax bill.
    Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • More Great Living Stories From Vogue The Vogue Runway app has expanded!
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The survey found that voters favored a generic Democratic candidate for Congress over a Republican 46% to 40%, but the Democratic advantage expanded to 11 points among those who definitely plan to vote.
    Zac Anderson, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Eastward to Morgan City, Louisiana, the surge could be as high as 3 feet, while southward along the Texas coast, the storm surge could be up to 2 feet as far south as San Luis Pass, the center stated.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Where companies such as Zero and Stark have pushed hard to gain high output numbers in order to win sales, Bonnell hopes to win them by building e-bikes that appeal to riders and enthusiasts at a more visceral level.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Net profits tallied $183 million, boosted by more than $140 million in tariff refunds.
    Evan Clark, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Sami boosted the event-ticket side of his business by personally picking up tickets for customers.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Escalated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalated. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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